Gadgets taking years of our lives says study, here's what to do

 

Gadgets taking years of our lives says study, here's what to do

New research suggests that those who sit for long periods in front of a television or computer screen are likely to die a lot sooner than those who don’t! Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom. Read on for the findings, and how to avoid a premature gadget-induced early grave. Gadgets don’t have to be bad for us. 


The study (via The Atlantic) reports that the Sax Institute surveyed over 222k Australian adults 45 years and older, and found that those who sat more than 11 hours a day had a 40 per cent higher risk of dying in the next three years.

Factors including age, weight and physical activity were taken into account, However, the message is clear: don’t sit for that long. Healthy or sick, it was found that those who sat longest faced the biggest risks. Thankfully physical activity can reduce them. So what can we do?

Gadget fans are advised to take breaks from a laptop, computer and video games. The study suggests that keeping active in between sitting down can reduce the risks. If ever there was a case for motion sensor Microsoft Kinect, PlayStation Move and Wii games and games such as EA Sports Active (pictured): this may be it.

Don’t forget: there are plenty of gadgets, games and smartphone apps to keep us active.

So you see, gadgets don’t have to be bad for us. Got any gadget-related tips to stay active? Let us know

Nokia bringing free public Wi-Fi to all in London

 

Nokia bringing free public Wi-Fi to all in London

 

Public Wi-Fi is nothing new, but with pay as you go tariffs it often works out more expensive and less convenient than simply using your mobile phone’s 3G connection. Nokia and a company called Spectrum Interactive hope to change this, offering free Wi-Fi to all, starting off in London.

You don’t even have to own a Nokia to use the planned Wi-Fi – which is set to run initially from now until the end of December. Unlike most public Wi-Fi networks, you won’t have to pay a penny – simply sign the terms and conditions, and off you go.

Granted, you’ll be better served if you do have a Nokia smartphone – as the Wi-Fi networks are set to appear on Nokia Maps. If you do manage to locate them on your iPhone or Android smartphone, however, you’ll still be welcome to join.

 

Download speeds will be capped at 1Mbps, with 500Kbps upload speeds on offer. There will be 26 hotspots around London for the initial trial, in which Nokia “wants to see how it will be used”. With a bit of luck the technology won’t be restricted to London, either, with Nokia pointing out ““We’ll look at how we can take those opportunities to other cities in the world…it’s really looking at how we bring all that together”.